Conventional hand-held electronic devices, such as hand-held computers, have been developed to communicate with other remotely located electronic devices via high frequency radio signals. These hand-held computers have antennas to receive and transmit the radio signals for increased efficiency in the communication. Most antennas are generally fixed to the housing of the hand-held computer such that the antennas are not rotatable. These fixed antennas have a limited degree of versatility and suffer from the risk of being broken or damaged during the life of the hand-held computer. Replacing the broken or damaged antenna or housing of the hand-held computer can be an expensive task that will take the hand-held computer out of productive use for a period of time.
Other hand-held computers or electronic devices include permanent antennas that are rotatable relative to the housing for movement between stored and active positions. The mechanical connection of these rotatable antennas to the housings will wear and may be damaged from improper rotation between their stored and active positions. Over time, the wear on the antenna components and other damage may damage the antenna and result in a failure of the antenna or the electrical and mechanical connection with the hand-held computer's housing. While reliable, long lasting antenna components are available, such components are expensive and not economically feasible.
Antennas on hand-held computers experience a further drawback in that the connection between an antenna and components within the computer is a relatively fragile connection. These fragile connections are susceptible to damage, particularly if the computer is jarred, inadvertently bumped, or dropped during day-to-day use. Fixing or replacing the permanent antenna's connection often requires a costly repair and removal of the hand-held computer from service for a period of time.